Session 8: Part-word final-letter contractions

There are 14 part-word final-letter contractions. These contractions are two-cell contractions -- the final letter of the word preceded by one of several dot combinations - Dot 4-6, Dots 5-6, or Dot 6:

Contraction

Dot 4-6 (5 words)

Dots 5-6 (7 words)

Dot 6 (2 words)

ound

ance

ence

ong

ful

sion

tion

ation

less

ness

ount

ment

ity

ally

These contractions are a useful and "transcriber-friendly" group of contractions. As the general rules below state, the most confusing aspect about this group is their use for the whole-words "less" and "ally". Neither of these are permitted.

It is also useful to remind you that, in general, one-cell signs take precedence over two cell signs if they both require the same amount of space. However, that rule is null and void if the use of the two-cell contraction will save more space than a combination of one-cell signs. An exception to the rule is as follows:

If the letters "ence" are followed by an "r" or a "d", use the "ence" contraction instead of the "en" and "er/ed" contraction.

Another exception to the syllable-break rule is the use of the "ness" contraction in use to make a word feminine, such as "baroness". In these words, the "ness" contraction is used.

The rules for this group are relatively straight-forward:

Final-letter Contractions

Are subject to the general rules for the use of contractions.

May never represent whole words.

less

ally

May be used only in the middle or at the end of a word.

ele(ment)al

m(en)tal

b(less)

lesson

c(ance)r

ance(st)or

May be used at the beginning of a line in a divided word.

temp(er)a-(ment)

hospital-(ity)

reck-(less)

May never be preceded by the apostrophe or the hyphen.

con-(st)i-tu-tion

grey'(ou)nd

re(st)-less-ness

re-ally

com-m(en)t-(ed)

'tion!

The contraction ness may be used in easily read words, but never when the root word ends in en or in.